Robert Oliver
Pasifika Chef with community as his key ingredient – story by Tony Cutting
It is 1:30pm and I am very excited about the phone call I am about to make with Chef Robert Oliver. This is the sort of story you love to write about, a story of a young kiwi boy who is taken to Fiji as a young man and learns all about Pasifika culture and the living connection to food. He then discovers a passion for cooking in his early twenties which dates to those earlier days he spent with his mother in the markets of Suva and launches into a successful career as a world class Chef, a lifestyle that has him tripping around the globe meeting celebrities and building on knowledge and experience through the places and people he meets but also never forgetting the importance of where he comes from and the community focus his family has taught him throughout his journey.
The beginning - that mountain
After quick introductions Robert starts with a brief insight into where his journey began, back in the late 50’s under the impressive watch of Mt Taranaki. This significant landmark a major feature he fondly remembers and seeks out when travelling in or around the central north island has always been a significant memory for this kid who grew up with Dennis his Palangi/Samoan father and Jean his mum, two siblings a brother and sister. The family lived in Taranaki until Richard was twelve years old. He remembers dad coaching gymnastics which was a major part of his life back in those days, Highland Intermediate and a short spell at Spotswood College. Dad worked for the YMCA and along with Mum they were heavily involved with community and volunteer work around the rohe.
Bula Vinaka – welcome to Fiji
A work opportunity with YMCA took the family to Suva, Fiji where life was about to get much more colourful and interesting for Robert. One of his first memories was walking through the markets with his mum looking for food, and observing with interest as she was forced to adapt her cooking to what was available locally. The markets are quintessentially the life hub of the local community; the food is more than just something you place in your stomach. Food is a way of life for most the population it is the economic backbone of most families. The markets are electric with life and you really get to feel what living in Fiji is all about simply by spending time here.
Life in Fiji for Robert was joyful, he attended Suva Grammar School and many of his friends from school are still his closest friends today. Gymnastics no longer played a part in his life, but he states “living in the islands, you are full time into sports, it is just the way it is” “People love life over there and you see it every day, when people laugh there is no holding back, its full-on belly laughter” Life is good. They also spent time both in Fiji and Samoa giving Robert a good feel for life across this small Pasifika group of islands.
Working Life
After nine to ten years of Pasifika life Robert left to attend Auckland University. This experiment did not work, coming directly from island life Robert found adjusting quite difficult. He decided a move to Sydney and quickly secured work in hospitality not knowing that this was to set him on a fast track to a career in food.
By twenty-four Robert had moved through the ranks to become an executive Chef. It was the late 70’s and the party was just getting bigger each year. Robert was offered an opportunity to travel and work in New York and he grabbed this opportunity with both hands.
Sustainable Food Systems
Living and working in New York opened Roberts eyes to how effective food is for bring people, cultures and communities together. New York was a collection of ethnicities when it came to food, it was a complete leveller when it came to connecting communities.
During this time, he also learnt more about sustainable food systems, the practice where restaurants work closely with the local community to source food for the business. A great way to help the wider community while serving visitors from around the globe. Robert became adept at working and developing these relationships between the restaurant business and local community.
Living in New York you are quickly exposed to real homelessness and Robert was no exception. Unlike any people however, Robert started to do something about it. Each night he would take left over food and distribute it to homeless people. This initial activity would lead into full scale food programmes for the homeless. Community activity was certainly in Roberts blood.
Suva, Miami
After ten years Robert now an Executive Chef living, working and playing in New York an opportunity came through a friend to help develop a new hotel in Miami. It was here he took the opportunity to return to his roots. Still working with a sustainable philosophy, he would develop his first restaurant based on Island style cuisine.
Suva was launched with his good friend Marisa Tomei as a partner in South Beach, Miami a place where many celebrities had holiday homes and good restaurants were in good demand. The restaurant would last a credible four years before a new brand and concept would take over (not unusual in fact a very good innings in the restaurant game).
Caribbean Calling
His next adventure would come when a friend called him and asked if he would help develop three restaurants in the Caribbean. One in St Lucia and two others in Barbados. Each luxury hotel had around eight restaurants and looked after around five hundred quests. Again, his skills for building restaurants businesses using the sustainable food systems he had perfected while working in New York would come into play. This time he was working with local farmers to develop the menus that would be sustainable for the businesses while providing meaningful economic value to the local community.
Time to return home
After this latest adventure, halfway around the world Robert decided it was time to return home to Suva and establish his own sustainable restaurant business at home. This led to him spending many hours with the locals and working closely with the older women who held the secrets to recipes dating back hundreds of years.
Robert realised he needed to write his first book to help keep these stories and recipes alive. It was a difficult time for Robert as his long-term property investments in Miami had been severely hit and were now worth nothing. He would lose these properties and end up with very little in his bank account. A decision had to be made, for Robert the books were too important and regardless of the fact he knew they would not necessarily generate a load of cash for him he decided they must be done. He was supported during this time by his co-author Dr. Tracy Berno.
His first book although not necessarily a financial success for him personally it did very well winning a best cook book of the year, this was then followed up by a second very successful book.
Book 1 - Me’a Kai: The Food and Flavours of the South Pacific (Random House) BEST COOKBOOK IN THE WORLD 2010 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, Paris co-authored with Dr Tracy Berno featuring Fijian photographer Shiri Ram.
Book 2 - Mea’ai Samoa: Recipe and Stories from the Heart of Polynesia (Random House) BEST TV CHEF COOKBOOK IN THE WORLD 2013, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, Beijing co-authored with Dr Tracy Berno featuring Fijian photographer Shiri Ram
Shanghai and New Zealand
During this time Robert low on funds was introduced to several opportunities which would help him rebuild. He accepted an opportunity as a consulting chef for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise which had him working on Shanghai for a couple of years and Television roles back here in New Zealand.
Robert is Chef Ambassador for Le Cordon Bleu, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands and a features contributor to the Huffington Post (New York) and "New Western Cuisine" (Beijing)
A television series REAL PASIFIK based on his work and the food culture of the South Pacific has been produced by Zoomslide Productions, with Robert as presenter. REAL PASIFIK has screened on TV ONE in New Zealand is being distributed globally. Season 2 of REAL PASIFIK aired in 2014.
REAL PASIFIK was a finalist in the New York Film and Television Awards in the 'Travel and Tourism" category for 2013.
Robert is a guest judge in the hit TV series "My Kitchen Rules, New Zealand" (TVNZ/ TWO) and co-host of the Maori cuisine show "Marae Kai Masters" (Maori TV) with renowned actor Tekohe Tuhaka.
Coming Soon - Kai Pasifika
His next adventure is underway as he looks to establish a community focused sustainable food restaurant in Auckland. A restaurant for the local community owned in partnership and fully supported by the local community. The menu will put a spin on negative stereotypes around Pacific foods being high in fat and contributing to health diseases such as obesity and diabetes that are killing Pacific people.
A big part behind Robert's thinking, is that there are a lot of misconceptions out there about Pacific cuisine but at the heart of it, it's healthy. Because it's full of lots of fish, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Robert's take on Kai Pasifika is, how do we put together a meal within the Pacific culture that looks gorgeous, that tastes divine, but is going to be good for you?
